Elevator signal system



C. W. BASSETT ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed April 17. 1926 '6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR April 17, 1928.

c. w. BASsErT ELEVATOR SI GNAL SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 17. 1926' I Z'N I:

April 17, 1928.

c. w. BASSETT ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed April 17, 1926 3 Shuts-Sheet 3 g Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,666,589 PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS w. BASBETT, OI KONTCLAIE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGE'OR TO ELEVATOR SUP PLIEB COMPANY, INC., OF HOBOKEE', NEW JERSEY,'A CORPORATION 01' NEW JERSEY.

ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Application filed April 17, 1926. Serial No. 102,784.

This invention relates to signal systems .for elevators and is intended primarily to provide a system of signaling in which the stop signal is initiated from within the ele- 5 vator car and the signal resulting from such call is displayed within the elevator car. In this respect this signal system differs from the conventional signal system for elevators in that it does not relate to the type of signals initiated by prospective passengers at the various landings; although it is to be understood that this system can be worked in conjunction withsuch conventional signal systems and is in fact intended as a supplement to such conventional systems. When used in this supplemental capacity this invention discloses means for registering within the elevator stop si nals to be displayed successively at the varlous floors and in the 29 elevator. v

More particularly the object of this invention is to provide means in the car operable by the car operator to set stop signals for the various floors which passengers on entering the car announce as their prospective destinations. In the preferred construction such means consist of a plurality of buttonset mechanisms, there being one for each of the floors past which the car travels, in combination with car-controlled circuit completing apparatus adapted to cause the display of the signals at the proper points in the cars travel. In this connection a feature of the operation is that all or any number of the button-set mechanisms are operable coincidently, so as to register in advance, that is, store up, the number of stop signals to be displayed during a single trip'in one direction or the other. The operation in the 40 preferred embodiment will be as follows:

When a passenger enters the car and announces that he wishes to be deposited at, for example, the 10th floor, the operator in accordance withhis request presses the button corresponding to the 10th floor. No immediate slgnal is given but as thecar pro ceeds upwardly in the hatch and approaches to within a predetermined distance of the 10th floor. a signal will be displayed which 6 will be visible throughout the car, but will be brought particularly to the operators attention, so as to remind him that he is to stop at the 10th floor. The operation is. of course, similar with respect to any other floors at which passengers have signified their intention of being deposited, the only act necessary to initiate the operation for any floor being the pushing of the correspondlng button (the term button being intended to include any form of manually operated circuit closing device) at any time prior to reaching the floor.

In accomplishing this result a much needed improvement in elevator operation is obtained. Before this invention the elevator car, with the type of signal commonly used,

received stop signals in due course when such signals were initiated by passengers at the various landings ahead of the cars travel, but no means was provided to remind the operator of a call previously given by one of the occupants of the car to stop at a particular floor. Conse uently, unless each occupant carefully Watc ed the movement of the car and at the proper instant reminded. theoperator as to the floor at which he intended getting out, the car operator would invariably pass by onl to be reminded too late that he had fai ed to stop as a passenger desired. The

necessary result of this deficiency in elevator tended to supplement the ordinary signal system, which provides for stop signals initiated from outside the car, so that by the use of this system,in conjunction with any of the common types of signal system a more complete system is obtained and calls from I eitherwithin or without result in the displaying of stop signals both within and without the car, such signal display being in the saine manner for both types of calls, this being the preferred arrangement.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus involved in my novel signal system.

Figure 2 is a view of the commutatin'g mechanism for my signal system together with the operating means therefor.

the

Figure 3 is an end view of the parts shownin Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view, partly in section, of

within the car.

Figure 6 is a side view of the signal box.

Figure 7 is a top View of the signal box, partly in section.

Figure 8 shows schematically the parts for a modified embodiment of my signal system.

Figure 9 shows another modification.

Referring to the drawings, the signal box within the car, indicated generally by reference character 1, Figure 5, consists preferably of a rectangularly shaped hollow casing which may be mounted conveniently on the side of the car and preferably with the supports 2 resting flush against the walls thereof. In the outer panel a series of buttons is provided, said buttons being adapted to control mechanisms shown best in Figure 7, wherein buttonlO is shown adapted to be pushed into the recess 11 in bushing 12, which bushing is constructed of insulating material and supported by angles Y13 and 14 secured to the back wall of the box as shown at 15 and 16 respectively. The button has a reduced shank 17, as shown best in Figure 7, around which is a coiled spring serving to hold the button normally in the outer position. On the shank 17 is provided a flange 20, of conducting material, which, when the button is pressed, is forced inwardly past '-;the twobeveled projections 21 and 22 secured to resilient conducting strips. 23 and 24 respectively. These strips 23 and 24 being resilient allow the projections 21 and 22 to yield to the pressure of flange 20, allowing said flange to pass to the inner side of a the two projections, where it will be held by said projections and in electrical contact therewith, and due to the action of said re-' silient strips, until such time as it shall be released by mechanism; hereinafter described. A similar contact-making mecha nism is associated with each of the buttons in the signal box, each button correspond ing to 'one of the floors, as previously noted;

such mechanism operating in each case to hold any button which is pushed in the upward position temporarily. Terminals 23 ducting wires.

and 24 attached to strips 23 and 24 respectively are provided for the securing of con- As shown, the buttons are arranged in two vertical rows, but this is merely for convenience and symmetry. ()bviously the buttons may be arranged otherwise.

Means for displaying the signal in response to the pressing of the button just described,

is provided preferably in the same signal box and in the construction shown consists of an electric flashlight mounted behind preferred type of signal box mounted jewel 26 as shown in Figure 1. [This flashlight is preferably arranged to cause the jewel 26 to flash luminouslywhen the circuit to the flashlight is completed in the manner hereinafter to be described.

Another and similar flashlight is placed behind jewel 25, shown in Figure 1, this light being the ordinary-car signal operable as a result of initiating a call from a floor, in the well known manner, forming no part of this invention.

The means for causing the display of the signal 26 in the signal box at a subsequent point in the cars travel may consist of any mechanism commonly employed for completing elevator signal circuits, and as shown here comprises preferably a commutator, indicated generally by reference character 27 in Figure 2, mounted preferably on the car and comprising in the preferred form a conducting feed strip 28 and two rows of conducting segments 29 and 30 as shown in Fi ures 1 and 2. These segments and feed strip form the means for subsequently closing the circuits at this point after the pressing of any of the buttons insignal box 1, such completion being brought about by the subsequent travel of the car and at the proper predetermined point in the hatch with respect to the associated floors.

This method of completing signal circuits by a traveling carriage or commutator moved. correspondingly with the car is very old in the art and is notI-claimed' by itself in this application. The best known type of commutating apparatus for effecting this result is known as the Smalley & Reiners commutator, described and shown very completely in patents #634,220 of Oct. 3, 1899, and #826,7 52 of July 24, 1906.

'Consequently it will not be necessary to go into a detailed discussion here of the manner of operation of such a commutator, butit will be appropriate to point out the changes in construction which I make in order to adapt the Smalley & Reiners commutator to the particular, duty required of loo ill)

it to accomplish the results desired for my The chief difference lies in the fact that instead of mounting the commutator in a stationary position so as to be driven by the overhead mechanism associated with the hoisting motor, I prefer to mount the com- Lit! - with a pair of moving brushes and 36, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, these brushes,

mutator directly on the car and to operate the same thru a sheave mechanism, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4'. This sheave mechanism may be of any convenient form but as shown herein consists of a trio of rotatably mounted sheaves 30, 31 and 32' so positioned with respect to each other as to permit a cable or track 33 to engage a portion of the periphery of each. This cable 33 is preferably suspended from the top of the hatch and is held under tension by suitable means so thatas the car travels along the hatch the contact of the sheaves 30, 31 and 32 with the cable 33 will cause rotation of the sheaves and consequently rotation of screw shaft 34: of the commutator. Further description of the sheave mechanism for driving the coinmutator is believed unnecessary inasmuch as it is essentially the same as shown and .described'in my co-pending application, Serial No. 92316, filed March 4, 1926, and also as shown and described in patent to H. D. Smith, #1575390 of March 2, 1926.

As for the arrangement of contacts on the commutator itself, any suitable arrangement of brushes and conducting strips may be employed, but in the simplest form, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, all that is necessary is a single conducting teed strip and two rows of segments, as pointed out above, together on the Smalley & Reiners commutator. ulnthis connection it may be noted that'the feed strip 28 of the present disclosure corresponds to the so-called car lamp strip (63) of the Smalley'. & Reiners disclosure. Consequently when the two systems are combined this additional feed strip 28 and the auxiliary ear lamp shown in Fig. 5 are not strickly necessary, inasmuch as the old car lamp strip and a single car light could answer the purpose.

By employing the type of throw-over mechanism shown best in Figure 4 (this being exactly the same as shown in Smalley & Reiners patent) it will be obvious that during one direction of travel, as for example the down direction, the brushes will assume the position shown in Figures 3 and 4. while in the opposite direction of travel of the car the brushes will assume their lowerposition. In other words, considering the commutator shown in'Figures 1 and 2 as separate from the Smalley & Reiners commutator above referred to during the downward movement of the car the brushes will span feed strip .22 to allow return to normal position is 28 and the upper-row of segments, while during the upward travel of car the brushes will span feed strip 28 and the lower row of segments. N

Each of the rows of segments 29 and 30 contains a segment corresponding to each floor length along which the car travels with the single exception that for obvious reasons no segment is necessary for the top floor, in the down direction oftravel, nor is any segment necessary for the bottom floor in the up directionot travel. These segments are wired as shown in Figure 1 to the corresponding contacts in the signal box 1 in the car so as to complete its signal circuitand illuminate the flashlight 26 in the signal boxat the proper time, provided the as- I sociated push button in the signal box has been pushed. To illustrate by tracing the circuit for a particular floor ..let us assume that the car is standing at a floor or traveling upward and that a passenger in the car announces his intention of getting oft at the 8th floor. The push button for the 8th floor will accordingly be pressed by the operator, causing flange 20 to bridge contacts 21'and 22, as shown in Figure 7, thereby closing circuit at the point marked VIII in Figure 1. Now when the car. comes within a predetermined distance'of the 8th floor, say, for example, when the car reaches a point midway between the GthV-and 7th floor, the traveling brushes 35 and 36 will have reached the point where they span conducting strip 28 and 8th floor segment-of row 30, this segment being designated by numeral 40, Figure 1. A circuit will then be complete from the source of current 38, conductor 3.9, feed strip28, brushes 35, 36, 8th floor seg ment 40, conductors 41 and 42, 8th floor. contacts 21 and 22, thence thru conductor 43 to flashlight 26 in the signal box, thence back thru conductor 44 to the source of current.

The circuit thus completed will remain completed and the signal 26 will remain displayed during the time the brush 36 remains on segment 40, which will preferably be during the time required for the car to traverse approximately one floor length of travel. When brush 36 passes off segment 40 the circuit will be broken and light 26 will be extinguished and will remainextinguished for the rest of the up travel of the car, (unless stop signals havebeen registered for subsequent floors).

Although the signal circuit is broken at the commutator, when brush 36 passes oft segment 40 the contacts 21 and 22 still remain bridged by flange 20 due to the mechanical construction previously pointed out. These contacts will remain bridgeduntil the means for'withdrawing the contacts 21 and brought into operation. Any suitable electrical or mechanical means for operating these contacts to reset the button may be provided, but in the construction shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, this resetting means comprises a longitudinal bar 47 passing downwardly between strips 23 and 24 and having at the proper positions thereupon pairs of cam surfaces as shown in 48 and 49, these cam surfaces being so arranged that they strike against projecting ends 51 and 52 respectively, attached to strips 23 and 24 and integral with contacts 21 and 22 respectively, as shown clearly in Figure 7. Similar cams are provided for each of the contacts for each of the buttons in the signal box. This bar 47 when raised will cause the cams 48 and 49 to strike against projections 51 and 52, forcing the same outwardly and thereby withdrawing contacts 21 and 22, releasing flange 20 and the push button associated therewith. Upon again lowering the bar 47 the projecting portions of the cam surfaces will be withdrawn, allowing springs 54 and 55 to return contacts 21 and 22-to the norinal position shown in Figure 7. Raising of the bars 47 (there being one for each of the two rows of push buttons) to reset the push buttons will preferably be accomplished at the end of thecars travel in each direction. This may be accomplished by means of raising knob 55 to which is attached a bracket 56 and cross-bar 57 secured at either end to the bars 47. Upon releasing the knob, the bars 47 will again resume their lower positions because of their own weight.

The resetting of the buttons by raising the bars may be accomplished electrically, however, if preferred. One means for accomplishing this is shown in Figures 5 and 6 and diagrammatically in Figure 1, and consists of a pair of solenoids 58 and 59 having their plungers secured to the bars 47 so that upon energization the plungers are drawn upwardly into the solenoids, thereby raising the bars 47. The electrical circuit for energizing the solenoids is preferably completed .just prior to the arrival of the car at either terminal and broken just as soon thereafter as is expedient, so that when the car is standing at either terminal the solenoids will not be energized. To effect this I preferably provide insulating material on the last up and down segments as shown at 60 and 61 inF'igure 1, which insulating material is so positioned with respect to the brushes 35 and 36 that one of them will rest thereon when the car is at its limits of travel. Just before reaching this limit of travel, however, the .brush will pass over the conducting part 62 of the last segment in the up direction, and similarly in the down direction, thereby completing a circuit in each case to both solenoids 58 and 59, the circuit in the up direction of travel passing as follows:

From generator 38 thru conductor 39,.feed

strip 28, brushes 35 and 36, segment 62, conductors 63 and 64, thence in parallel thru solenoids 58 and 59, thence back thru c0nductors 43 and 44 to the generator.

Figure 8 shows a modified form for the signal system. In this modification instead of employing mechanical means for'holding the buttons in contacting position until the signal is displayed, I provide electrical means for holding the contact and allow the button to return (by spring pressure, preferably,) immediately after being pressed, so that no subsequent reset of the button is necessary. This means consists of employing a relay in the signal box for each floor button, as for example, relay 65 associated with button 66, which button maybe assumed to he the button for the 6th floor. Relay 65 will be connected in a circuit passing to the 6th floor segment 67 on: the commutator 27 (only that portion of the commutator involved in completing the signals for one direction of travel being shown schematically in this figure). Associated with relay. 65 is armature 68 pivoted at 69 and normally held intheposition shown in Figure 8 by means of spring 70. In this position the armature is withdrawn from contact 71 but will be rethe signal box so that the outward appear ance of the signal system is substantially the same as in the preferred embodiment previously described. The result accomplished is also the same although the operation is diiferent.

To trace the operation, let it be supposed that the car is ascending and a passenger announces his intention of getting off at the sixth floor. The operator presses button 66, thereby causing armature 68 to engage contact 71, completing a circuit passing from the source of current 72 thru conductors 73 and 74, relay 65, conductor 75, contact 71, armature 68, thence back to the source of current thru conductors 76, 77 and reset switch 78. The circuit thus made causes the energization of relay 65, which energization holds armato within the predetermined distance of the 6th floor, the commutator brushes (indicated diagrammatically at79) will bridge segment 67 and feed strip 80, closingthe circuit to display signal 26', which circuit will pass as follows: i Y From battery 72 thru conductors 73 and 81, flashlight 26, conductor 82, feed strip 80, brush 79, 6th floor segment 67, conductors 83 and 75, thence thru contact 71, ar-

mature 68 and conductors 76, 77 and 78 back to the battery.

The signal 26 will remain displayed until brushes 79 pass off segment 67, just as in the preferred embodiment. .Upon reaching the limit of travel, orat any other point in the discretion of the operator, the system will be restored to normal condition by opening switch 78, which may be mounted in any convenient position, as for example, inthe signal box 1. Opening switch 78 will of course tie-energize any of the relays associated with the push buttons which may be energized at the time. This switch may be relay-controlledbya relay connected so as to be energized just prior to reaching the limit of travel in the manner explained in connection with Figures 1 and 2, or it may be manually controllable or both.

With the construction just described it is obvious that the commutator may be mounted either on thecar or in the pent house wit-out in any way making any difference in he operation of the system.

Figure 9 shows another embodiment for my signal system, which contains what may be considered by some as a certain advantage over either of the two embodiments previously described, inasmuch as the embodiment of the system shown in Figure 9 will permit the mounting of not only the commutator but also the button-set mechanisms in any location which may appear more convenient than the location within the car. With this type of system, if desired, the equipment mounted in the car may be reduced to comprise merely a push button or switch for each floortogether with the stop signal and a reset switch, the rest of the equipment being mounted either on the top or bottom of the car, or in the pent house. I am able to eliminate the other equipment from the signal push box by employing a series of relays, one for each floor, each of which relays operates to complete two circuits instead of one, or rather to place two circuits in completable condition.

To trace the operation of this system let us again suppose that button 66' is the button associated with the 6th floor, that segment 67 is the 6th floor up segment, that 26" represents the stop signal and 78' the reset switch. Let us further suppose that the car is traveling upward and button 66' has been pressed. A circuit will thereby be completed from battery 72 thru contacts operated by push button 66', conductor 85; relay 65, thence back thru conductors 86, 87 and switch 7 8 to the battery. Energization of relay 65 thus roduced will close switches 88 and 89. Closing of switch 88 will immediately form a maintaining circuit for relay 65, which-circuit will pass as follows:

From battery 72 thru conductors 90 and 91, switch 88, conductor 92, relay 65, thence back thru conductors 86, 87 and 78' to the battery.

Now when the car approaches to within the predetern'line'd distance of the 6th floor,' the brushes referred to (liagrammatically at 79' will span 67' and feed strip 80', thereby completing the circuit to display sto) signal 26", which circuit will pass as follows:

From battery thru conductor 92, signal 26", conductor 93, feed strip 80', brushes 79', 6th floor segment 67', conductor 94, switch 89, thence back to the battery thru conductors 91 and 90.

The signal 26" will thus remain illuminated for that portion of the cars, travel determined by the length of segment 67 The resetting of the system is accomplished in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 8, namely, by the opening of switch 78, which opening breaks the circuits t-hru any of the relays which may be energized.

With all three embodiments, it is to be noted that'the same push button serves for both up and'down travel, inasmuch as resetting can occur at or near the end of each direction of travel. The invention claimed herein, however, is that shown in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, the species of Figures 8 and 9 being claimed inmy co-pending applica-' tion entitled Elevator signal systems, filed March 2etth, 1928, bearing Serial No. 264,358. Other constructions and'arrangements of parts may be employed, as willbe obvious to persons skilled in the art, without departing from'the scope of this invention as disclosed herein, and as defined in the appended claims. i

I- claim: 1 1. In a signal. system for an elevator serving a plurality of floors, a stop signal on the elevator, a plurality of circuits to said stop "signal, onefor each floor, means for partially closing any number of said circuits comprising a plurality of switches in the respective circuits and means for operating said switches from within the elevator, means for holding the switches in closed position pending complete closure of the respective circuits. means for thereafter completing the c closure of said circuits in succession as the elevator progresses in the direction. of said floors, said means comprising a circuit closer having a group of relatively stationary members and a co-operating member traveling in synchronism with the elevator, and means for reopening said first named switches as the said circuit closer advances toward its limit of travel, said means comprising electromagnetic means and a circuit thereto closable by said traveling circuit closing mem- 2. In an elevator signal system, a stop signal on the elevator, a' circuit therefor, means for partially closing said circuit immediately upon the entryof a passenger into the elevator from any floor comprising a switch in said circuit and a push button efiecting' the closing of said switch, said push button being located within the elevator, means for holding said push button controlled switch in circuit closing position until the complete closure of said signal circuit by the motion of said travelin circuit closing member, means for thereatter completing the closure of said circuit when the elevator arrives within a predetermined distance of the floor identified by said push button, said means comprising a circuit closer having a rela-i tively stationary member forming part of said circuit and a co-operating member travehng 1n synchronism with the elevator and v properly positioned toeffect the necessary electrical contact with said relatively stationary member, a second relatively stationary member. further along the path of said traveling circuit closing member, electromagnetic means for reopening said push button controlled switch, and means for energizincense ducting segment further along the path of said traveling circuit closer, said second segment being electrically connected to said electromagnetic reopemng means.

, Signed at Hoboken, New Jersey, April 15th, 1926. a

oYRUs W. BAssaTr. 

